24 frames per second

If you’re wondering why I’m on an SRK trip today, it’s because I’m planning to go see Chak De India this evening.

Ram Jaane is, on the face of it, an overdone, melodramatic mess of a movie with more ham than you can find in all of Virginia. I have a sneaking affection for it, though. Primarily because of its single redeeming factor: the hero is pretty street-smart.

The moment I remember the most from this movie comes towards the end, when Ram Jaane (SRK) is headed for a big showdown with his longtime tormentor, a cop named Chewte (Puneet Issar). Ram’s entire house of cards has come crashing down, and all that remains is jail time and Chewte. He decides to use this opportunity to settle scores once and for all.

H e goes up to Chewte and taunts him about how he uses his uniform to bully people. Claims that he could beat him in a fair fight, if he had the guts to take off his uniform and get right down to it. For people who have seen Amar Akbar Anthony, Zanjeer and countless other movies, this is a standard scenario. Clearly, Chewte has seen these movies as well, for he strips off his shirt, throws away his gun and gets ready for a fistfight. At which point Ram pulls out a gun from his sock and shoots him in the head.

You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for a movie to do that.